-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the dystopian future imagined within the popular Terminator franchise , robots learn to think , self-replicate and eventually kill their human masters .

While this bleak vision assumes a number of seemingly distant technological and political developments , some ideas currently driving robotics research may , for some , bear an uncomfortable resemblance to those of the 80s sci-fi smash .

In particular , one area where life seems to be imitating art is the fledgling field of ` swarm robotics ' , in which scientists are creating teams of robots that can work together toward a single goal -- from mending a leak to clearing mines -- with minimal or no input from humans .

Much of the research is based on the observed behavior of ` eusocial ' insects -- such as ants , bees and termites -- who work collectively on complex tasks without central management or higher order intelligence .

Consider for a moment a typical termite nest -- with its labyrinth of chambers and intersecting corridors . It 's built entirely by vast teams of micro-sized , speck-brained creatures -LRB- no disrespect -RRB- -- without so much as a blueprint to work from . So , the question for researchers is : how can we emulate this type of behavior in robots to help us solve problems and generally make our lives easier ?

Recently , researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology -LRB- MIT -RRB- unveiled 'M - blocks ' - robots that can assemble themselves into different shapes to perform a range of basic tasks , without input from a human controller .

While M-Blocks may not look particularly inspiring , the way they reshape is the first step toward a future where robots rebuild themselves to solve new problems . An M-Blocks-based robot working underwater might make itself narrow to fit through a deep sea crevasse , or a tiny team of medical robots could spread themselves flat to plug a gap in the human heart -- all without having been pre-programmed to do so .

At the moment researchers are still working to make teams of robots complete more basic tasks . Sheffield University researchers , for example , are using swarms of robots to fetch , carry and push objects in unison .

Dr Roderich Gross , head of the Natural Robotics Lab at the University of Sheffield , says : `` We are developing artificial intelligence to control robots in a variety of ways . The key is to work out what is the minimum amount of information needed by the robot to accomplish its task . That 's important because it means the robot may not need any memory , and possibly not even a processing unit , so this technology could work for nanoscale robots -- for example in medical applications . ''

Some of the most interesting applications for swarm robotics exist where robots go beyond the realm of easy human reach , say into space or under the sea , or -- as Gross says -- inside the human body to perform medical tasks at a microscopic or ` nano ' scale .

Aaron Becker , a postdoctoral researcher at Rice University has been working on an experiment -LRB- that you can join in here -RRB- to test different ways swarm robots can be deployed , with a view to seeing ` nano-robots ' eventually used in medical operations .

The project seeks to demonstrate how teams of robots could be utilized with minimal input from the outside world , possibly beneath the surface of the skin in a bid to tackle disease .

But how might this be done ?

Researchers at the Nanorobotics Laboratory in Montreal are looking at using swarms of miniature drones to fight pathogens within the human body . Sylvain Martel , the laboratory 's Research Chair , believes that preliminary research conducted in his lab could lead to future treatments where small magnetic robots are inserted into the body to fight cancer . Other researchers are investigating ways to use swarming robots in diagnosis , so that problems are detected before they become life threatening .

Becker believes that in future , swarms of nano-robots might even come to be used in surgery : `` If we can shrink the surgeon and their tools while maintaining their effectiveness , non-invasive surgery could revolutionize health care . I want to be a part of that dream , '' Becker says .

Jan Carlo Barca , a member of the Swarm Robotics Laboratory at Monash University in Melbourne , Australia says that there are plenty of worthy applications for swarm robots , but some scientists working in the field worry that their research may end up being used for military purposes :

`` Some potential application areas for swarms of robots are : cooperative search in disaster sites to support rescue efforts , pollution detection and monitoring , mine clearing , exploration , mapping and dynamic motion capture for the film industry , '' he says .

`` However , all this comes at a cost as this technology also will be exploited by defense agencies all over the world . -LRB- For example -RRB- the U.S. Defense Force has investigated how the hunting strategies of wolf packs , coyotes and killer whales can be used in military contexts . The Israeli Defense Force is also investigating how one can use miniature robotic mosquitoes in the same context . ''

And while the apocalyptic events of James Cameron 's Terminator 2 : Judgment Day are relatively unlikely , it is reassuring that many within the swarm robotics community are determined that their work will be applied to the right ends :

`` The big challenge , '' Barca says , `` is not only to formulate technologies that can be used in the real world , but also to ensure that swarm robotics technology will be used for the betterment of mankind . ''

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Scientists are building robots that can work in teams

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` Swarm robots ' operate like hive insects such as ants , termites or bees

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MIT 's M-blocks robot can self-assemble to solve different problems

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Swarm robots could be used in search and rescue , medicine and space exploration